Thursday, December 09, 2010

Berkeley Has a New Hero

"Amid calls from some politicians to press treason charges -- which could carry the death penalty -- against whoever leaked secret cables to WikiLeaks, the Berkeley, Calif., City Council is entertaining a resolution to declare that an Army private accused of leaking some classified information to the website is an American hero.

City Peace and Justice Commissioner Bob Meola, who authored the resolution, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Pfc. Bradley Manning, 22, is a patriot who deserves a medal.

"If he did what he's accused of doing, he's a patriot and should get a medal," Meola told the newspaper. "I think the war criminals should be the ones prosecuted, not the whistle-blowers." (SOURCE)

We've joked about it a lot here, but really...who are these Berkeley people and how did they become what they are? Are they trustee kids? Are they the kids of Vietnam protesters? Are they just so entrenched in years of group-think they don't even realize their views are so, so far from the norm...?

Aside from the embarrassment that is Berkeley, I am wondering the same thing many are...why did a PFC have access to so much information? Especially a PFC that is described as everyone as having trouble fitting in and "troubled." And one that had been demoted from specialist for assaulting a fellow soldier?

Well, traitor or hero...I hope the Army uses this as a catalyst to rework the intensity of psych evals and intelligence clearances...

I was wondering if anyone had thought about defining distinctions between a traitor and a whistle blower...?